I still remember when I got my ears pierced. I was 7, and I cried like an over-sized baby. It was such a disaster that I very nearly walked around with just one ear pierced for the rest of my life. Needless to say, this was the memory dancing around my head when we took our 8-year-old daughter to the pediatrician recently to get her ears pierced.

I shouldn't have been worried. My daughter's ear piercing elicited a few tears, but by and large, it was drama-free ... the very opposite of my first time (yes, I recovered and went back at 16 for another set of holes).

So how did we do it? How did we manage to make this major milestone a happy moment instead of the sobfest it could be?

Careful planning! I'd like to say it was all just pure dumb luck that kept her from throwing a fit, but nope ... my husband and I put a lot into making sure big moment went smoothly.

But hey, it paid off! We're more than a week in, and she's still over the moon that we let her get her ears pierced, and they're looking healthy.

Have you let your child get her ears pierced yet? What are your tips to make it go smoothly?